Movable furniture is furniture that is changeable between two or more shapes or positions. A common example is a reclining chair that is movable between upright and reclining positions.
During the manufacture of movable furniture, such as a reclining chair, upholstering is generally accomplished by "permanently" attaching the upholstery cloth to the frame of the moveable furniture using staples or similar means. The upholstering process is generally performed by hand.
One problem with the above described method of manufacturing movable furniture is that since the upholstering of each piece of movable furniture is performed by hand, and often by more than one upholsterer, the characteristics of the final product vary from piece to piece. It is important that the quality and characteristics of upholstered moveable furniture be as consistent as possible. For example, it is important that a chair have a "tight seat", that is, that the seat fit closely to the frame and to the armrests and other surrounding components of the chair.
Another problem associated with such method of manufacturing movable furniture is that the upholstering is a time consuming and therefore expensive process requiring the use of skilled upholsterers. It is important that furniture manufacturers be able to manufacture upholstered moveable furniture as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Since upholstering is generally accomplished by permanently attaching the upholstery cloth to the frame, a further problem associated with this method of manufacturing movable furniture is that it is difficult to remove upholstered parts of movable furniture, such as chair cushions. Thus, in order to repair upholstered moveable furniture, it is generally necessary to transport the entire piece of furniture to the manufacturer or a professional upholsterer. Movable furniture is generally heavy and large, and it is therefore usually inconvenient and expensive to transport such furniture for repair. Alternatively, a professional upholsterer must travel to the chair, also an expensive proposition.